Dave's Picks Vol. 47: Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, MO 12/9/79

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July 18, 2023 - 9:35am

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Who's ready to boogie with a little Brent-era Grateful Dead from the Gateway to the West? DAVE'S PICKS VOLUME 47 features the complete unreleased show from Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, MO, 12/9/79 and you're going to need stamina because this one is high energy from start to finish.

By the time December 1979 rolled around, Brent Mydland had fully cemented his place in the Grateful Dead canon with his twinkling keys, harmonic tenor, and songwriting skills. No more is that evident than at this show boasting 25 songs including soon-to-be classics from GO TO HEAVEN like "Alabama Getaway," "Don't Ease Me In," "Lost Sailor," and the Brent-penned "Easy To Love You." It's also packed with whirling takes on fan-favorites like "Brown-Eyed Women," "Shakedown Street," and "Terrapin Station." And you've never heard a 2nd set quite like this with eight songs before "Drums" including an improvised "Jam" launching from the end of "Saint Of Circumstance." It doesn't stop there though, with a blazing finale of "Bertha>Good Lovin'" and perhaps one of the best versions of "Don't Ease Me In" the band ever did play. We've rounded out Disc Three with an extra nugget from '79.

Limited to 25,000 numbered copies, this release was recorded by Dan Healy and has been mastered to HDCD specs by Jeffrey Norman at Mockingbird Mastering. Grab a copy while you can.

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August 11, 2023 - 8:17am

#921

Colin Gould

Joined:
September 15, 2009

Another Last 5

All of these were streamed today, even though I own the albums it was easier than searching for them:

‘Chrome Dreams’ - Neil Young

‘… at Newport’ - Joni Mitchell

‘50 years of hip-hop BBC Radio1extra mix tape’ - Various Artists. This is an hour long mix of tracks from 1973 - 2023. In the UK it’s available on iPlayer if you have a licence.

‘Ask Me No Questions’ - Bridget St John, this is a great album from 1969 that originally came out on John Peel’s Dandelion label. Somewhere I have the LP.

‘The Big Huge’ - Incredible String Band. This is still one of my all time favourite albums.

UPS tell me that my #47 is out for delivery. Since it’s said this since yesterday morning I’m not holding my breath. Hopefully I’ll see it early next week although it’s the hope that kills you!
August 10, 2023 - 9:05pm

#922

Vguy72

Joined:
June 29, 2007

Blues Traveler is releasing a new record soon....

....and everything was right in the world.
August 10, 2023 - 8:43pm

#923

JimInMD

Joined:
June 27, 2011

The Band and Rush

Liked (and like) em both. Agree GFar on your comments. Read This Wheels on Fire years ago, a good read and gave me a much deeper perspective on their history and chemistry. Rush was one of my first concerts. I think I was 13 or 14 give or take. What were my parents thinking? I was lucky to see them early, they were hot, hot, hot especially in their early years.. and my ears could take the volume back then. High energy rock and roll.
August 10, 2023 - 8:28pm

#924

Vguy72

Joined:
June 29, 2007

RUSH....

....they transformed into a different band every four records.
Fact check me on that, because it's not fake news.
RIP Neil Peart.
Paging keithfan2112!
Did you know if you put a mirror in the middle of the 2112 cover, a devil appears?
Badass.
I grew up in the middle of the heavy metal = Satan Worshipping era.
It was hilarious.
My parents even had to have an intervention at one point due to my obsession with music. Esp the loud music.
My bedroom was plastered with magazine inserts and tapestries. And I hadn't even discovered weed yet!
Had to take them all down.
I threatened to run away.
I did. For five hours.
I miss the 80's.
Edit. Maui is burning. Bill The Drummer just posted on IG re it. Over 40 dead.
I donated $20 to the cause.
August 10, 2023 - 2:30pm

#925

Gary Farseer

Joined:
August 1, 2015

Oro

Of course you deserve credit. Is it a band or not?

I always look to RUSH: both the band and the feeling. Rush decided very early on that they would divide the royalties 3 ways. They were having some issues and they came together with that plan, as documented on one of their documentaries. Much easier to do with Rush because all three contributed pretty much equally all the time.

So yeah, I always had issues with RR. That has mostly melted away. It comes down to the fact their was only one dirt farmer (cotton) and that was Levon in the band. Now maybe Hawk rubbed off on the others and gave them some redneck swag, but I doubt it. No disrespect, but how could a Canadian write "The Night They Drove Ole Dixie Down?" when he was a far stretch from understanding what that was like. I watch The Last Waltz a couple of times a year. And once, always Thanksgiving Day.

Speaking of Hawk...another Hawk, Taylor Hawkins, was contacted by Dave Grohl for an audition (going from memory on a few things) after someone contacted DG looking for a drummer. DG gave Hawkins a call to get him to go audition but Hawkins told him I would rather join Foo Fighters. Hawkins made it clear he wanted to be in a band, not the drummer for a solo artist (that artist being Alanis Morissette, who he worked for not auditioned for). So, I doubt that DG gave all equal rights like Rush, but I also doubt DG treated his band the way RR did. Just one guy's uneducated opinion.

Edit: Rush's Geddy Lee said once we established equal royalty rights, that issue was over and never was revisited again. Harmony! What a great name for my new upcoming boy band.
August 10, 2023 - 2:17pm

#926

daverock

Joined:
September 1, 2014

First generation hippies

PT - they sound like a nice couple who you met all those years ago. There were some very kind people about then, in the hippie world. The first time I tripped was with a couple like that. They seemed very caring, in a world that wasn't usually like that. Being a bear of little sense, I thought I'd try 2 or 3 tabs. I was given half of one, which seemed quite insulting at the time. Two hours later I was so high I couldn't speak.
August 10, 2023 - 1:35pm

#927

That Mike

Joined:
November 1, 2014

Point Set Match To Mr Oro

Great arguments all, Amigo, and really great stories.
Clarence Darrow had nuthin' on you!! :]
August 10, 2023 - 12:25pm

#928

alvarhanso

Joined:
January 16, 2014

Go Deacons, Gary!

I ask, as I grew up in Winston and Greensboro. My dad was a faithful Wake fan, which is sad given their long history and single Final Four. But I always gave him credit for sticking with them, rather than abandoning them. But, how do you not make a Final Four with Tim Duncan? Though, given your life experience, I'm sure the hardwood exploits were the least of your concerns in grad school. Glad it was a good experience, I have only heard it's a great school. I'll bet you got very familiar with Baity St and it's awesome Ziggy's, home of Roots, Rock, Reggae. If you were there until '98-99, we probably attended a lot of the same shows. A college buddy saw Aquarium Rescue Unit open for Phish there in '92. My dad caught the Ramones there twice, still have one of the ticket stubs.

Awesome stories, Oro! Sad, too.
August 10, 2023 - 12:16pm

#929

Oroborous

Joined:
June 19, 2007

RR Redux

Good point about Dylan Mike.
A lot has been written about the royalties too.
I can understand both points: the old school record company gives credit to one person etc, versus the group band mentality. As a musician, I felt like I contributed to the original music by creating my part and other little tid bits, phrases, a word here or there, even though technically I did not “write” the song. Does that mean I should get credit or not? In RR defense, how did they not know, and when they figured it out, why didn’t they do something then?
This is an old problem going back as far as modern recorded music itself. Not an easy answer, but from my perspective, I’d say they should have gotten more credit than they did, but perhaps not as much as Levon thought…
But as you state, same situation with Bob D and I don’t recall ever hearing them complain there so?
Yeah, good question Mike! Again, just too bad all the BS had to mess with the music.

EDIT: yeah well when it came to abuse Robbie was no boyscout either. He just got his shit together sooner and moved on. I don’t doubt there’s truth to what he says, especially in the 70s, but again, I think some of that is him putting English on the ball to make himself look good, or not the bad guy anyway.
August 10, 2023 - 12:13pm

#930

Gary Farseer

Joined:
August 1, 2015

While I remember

Pecan Lover's you can order excellent pecans from Priester's Pecans near Montgomery Alabama.

I owned a house in the early to mid 90's. It had three huge pecan trees. Each tree was one of the three different pecans types.This house sat on land of an old southern plantation that had a pecan grove that stretched almost 15 miles. The trees were well over a hundred years old. Had years with heavy to no yield of pecans. Use to gather them by the bushel in the good year. Used to give a bunch to my grandmother who only lived a few streets away. What did I get back? Pecan Pie of course. Now, been decades since I had a slice.

John Perry Barlow

John Perry Barlow

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Dead Store Products

Who's ready to boogie with a little Brent-era Grateful Dead from the Gateway to the West? DAVE'S PICKS VOLUME 47 features the complete unreleased show from Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, MO, 12/9/79 and you're going to need stamina because this one is high energy from start to finish.

By the time December 1979 rolled around, Brent Mydland had fully cemented his place in the Grateful Dead canon with his twinkling keys, harmonic tenor, and songwriting skills. No more is that evident than at this show boasting 25 songs including soon-to-be classics from GO TO HEAVEN like "Alabama Getaway," "Don't Ease Me In," "Lost Sailor," and the Brent-penned "Easy To Love You." It's also packed with whirling takes on fan-favorites like "Brown-Eyed Women," "Shakedown Street," and "Terrapin Station." And you've never heard a 2nd set quite like this with eight songs before "Drums" including an improvised "Jam" launching from the end of "Saint Of Circumstance." It doesn't stop there though, with a blazing finale of "Bertha>Good Lovin'" and perhaps one of the best versions of "Don't Ease Me In" the band ever did play. We've rounded out Disc Three with an extra nugget from '79.

Limited to 25,000 numbered copies, this release was recorded by Dan Healy and has been mastered to HDCD specs by Jeffrey Norman at Mockingbird Mastering. Grab a copy while you can.

I hope this doesn't suck. ;)

Bonus Material

My Guess is the bonus material is from 12/4/79 from Chicago after space. We got the Estimated /Frankiln’s / Jam pre drums on No. 31. But it looks tasty. I dig me some early Brent.

#47

Sweet, looking forward to this one. A little December 79.

How did you know LMG?

Like It

Fall of '79 is super under rated. Jerry was really trying to show the new kid how to play, there was soooo much good music on this tour, really, the best Brent tour until Spring of '90. Been waiting for Fall '79 since the early days of Road Trips. Now what about Pittsburgh Dave? That was the best show of the tour?

Close, but that pronunciation...

Of Billerica is only logical, Dave. I have been told by natives (who laughed at my own use of Bill-erica), that it is pronounced Bill-rick-a. They have some strange pronunciations here, I just laugh and move on while trying to make a mental note of that "correct" way to say something.

Was not a huge fan of DaP 31, the Jack a Roe and the filler jam is about all I recall from it. Listening to the Lazy Lightning now, and Bob mumbles through some verses, the sound of cassette hissing away. But will definitely give it a good listen when it comes. Don't think it will get near the workout DaP 45 and HCS box will, but I like random shows to pull out for a change, too. This could fill that need.

Don't Ease is not a favorite of mine by any means, but a band I was in started doing it, and I came to like it more then. Especially when we found it is a perfect way to do a stop on a dime segue into The Other One. So, I could see an encore version working well for a rocking closer. At least it's not yet another Around and Around.

Still waiting....

For 12/1 however any fall '79 show is worth a listen or two. I guess it's time to play DEAD & play DEAD loud. Happy Tuesday to all you kind folks out here in DEADLand.

On a side note....

.....Phish Dry Goods just dropped Rift on double blue vinyl lol.

Lake Side Dance

instead of sea side chat lol

I remain hopeful about this one, but apprehensive…

Alvarhanso & Pronunciation

ha ha, yes you've bottled that up appropriately: Bill-rickaaaah

Others that fall into the same category 'round these parts:

Stoneham = Stone-um
Worcester = Wust-ahhh
Woburn = Wuuuu-bern or just 'The Woooo'
Peabody = Pea-biddy
Cape Cod = Down The Cape

Just to name a few.

Bring on DaP 47!

From Greater Beantown,
Sixtus

Dave is Canadian we will…

Dave is Canadian we will give him a break on that pronunciation. God Bless The GD Grateful Dead!

Sounds

Unless I am wrong from long ago. What about

Haverhill: Have - rill

Leominster: Lem-in-stir

Gloucester: Glaw-stir

DaP 48 tease seems as interesting as the new release

Hi All - Haven't been here forever - hope all's well.

I like the 1979 energy. I just wish they didn't have to use cassette masters...

Most interesting was Dave's tease at the end about DaP48 - he seemed ESPECIALLY excited about that one: "I will see you here in 3 months for the DaP48 announcement. That's a Doozy! Gonna be a lot to talk about on that one!" What is it? Special guest? Special missing reel was returned to the Vault?? What could it BE???

I Was Born...(no, Not In A Desert)

In Med-fid.
Grandparants lived in Stone-um
They went round dancing in Woo-bin
Other family lived in Scituate (that's Sitch-you-It)
Vacationed in Barnstable-Bon-sti-bull
Enough!!

I will give Dave's 47 an unbiased listen, and probably tell Y'all what I think. Not that anyone would care!! :)

Music is the Best!!

Dead Head TV

More Dead Head TV released on DreamsWeDreamed dot com:

Kezar Stadium: Two Historic Grateful Dead concerts (just in time for the 'Sunshine" box!)
Dan Healy interview part three
Spring Tour 1989 Report part one
Dead Base: the Origins of the "Taper's Bible"
The Dead News May 1989

Enjoy!

Billerica

It is indeed pronounced Bill-Rick-A. I saw that night (from right in front of the very low stage) and the next at UMass. Great shows! Apparently no soundboards exist, but one can hope.

I'll Be Enjoying It

I've never heard a late '79 show I didn't enjoy sitting down with and I'm sure this will follow in kind. Regarding DaP 31 (12/3/29), a great show but a recording where the vocals are disembodied from the instrumentation-- reminds me of that Journey arcade game where you have to connect the heads to the instruments. A definite damper when you have so many other official shows to choose from. This release however sounds much more balanced. Not as dynamic as RT Vol3#1 (12/28/79), but nothing that will keep me from giving it a listen when the mood strikes. Looking forward to it. A nice antidote to all that boring '73 stuff!

Right on!

Always happy to see a new Brent era release and 79 was a good year.

Extra Nugget?

Now what that could be?

1979!

I love 1979 Grateful Dead, especially this whole fall tour. I am know I am not the only one who is slightly disappointed about not getting 11/30 and/or 12/1. Again this is minor as this show intrigues me. I have never heard it and now I am really curious about the jam that comes out of Saint of Circumstance. And what about a 2nd set composed 7-8 songs pre-drums??? I don't think that happened too often post-hiatus. I am really looking forward to this one.

The extra nugget is the post drums segment from 12/4/79, at least I think it is. We got the Estimated Prophet > Franklin's Tower > Jam > as bonus material, so now we can close out the 2nd set of that show. We are just missing the China Cat > Rider and LLR that opens the 2nd set. Still with the extra material on this release this is not a bad little nugget to have.

I am glad I have some time before this release makes it to my mailbox as I am still taking in the here Comes Sunshine box. Those shows on that box are wonderful.

Cassette Masters/Thin

Hey Thin, good to hear from you.

I think there is a possibility they used Plangent on this one as they did with Dave's #39, the 83 Philly show (MSG box as well). Cassette masters with the Plangent process makes a big difference.
We will see....

#48, I think he breaks into 91.

*re/ Deadvikes .

…in part of the art department. I graduated college, ‘ Cooper Union’ NYC , had full scholarship!

*Re/ 1979 Dead

… Dicks picks 5 is a favorite of mine! I Love 1979 Grateful Dead! Every release the Dead has been released to date are All, in Dave’s Words, “top tiers” performances from the Grateful Dead as a whole Band gives me the feeling of opening the “doors of Perception ind my mind! 1979 , especially December of 79’ is filled with’Primo Shows! Betty recorded 12/26/79 , the source used for Dicks Picks #5.
Sure wish this was a Betty board but I’m just grateful for the release no matter who recorded it, Healy, did Dave’s Picks #47, which the Dead uses for our next pick in the series!
“Smile Smile Smile “ my brother and sisters, I believe everyone is going love this latest pick!
Peace be with you all!

Daves 31....

....there is a Lost Saint.
I kinda forgot about that pick.
And that's on me.
Making up for lost time currently.
#3046.
Refresher course.
Better late than never!!
Lots of good music out there if you look at it right. And I tend to be all over the place recently.
Let's call it a mydland life crisis.
Extra nugget? Well, I've got one right here.

Fall '79....

....punchy.

My first show was on 11.9.79…

My first show was on 11.9.79 and these early shows with Brent are so sweet as he feels his way around with the band. Phil was playing so well in this time period that you can shred your speakers just to add a little more Phil.

Zero Gravity

The '60s didn't really end until 1974 or so, and the '90s didn't start till about '92. And I think the '80s got started in '79, at least as far as the GOGD was concerned.

It's kinda weird, isn't it, the way we obsess on numbers that end in zero? The way we pretend the world changes every ten years as soon as the calendar flips over to a year with a zero? Too bad our civilization didn't stick with roman numerals, everything would be different,

Anyway, glad to hear 47 is an '80s show, even if this one took place in '79. I think it's appropriate that Dave tries to represent different eras, and we were overdue for an '80s. I also think that, in this case at least, his interest in unusual set lists is likely to pay off: lots of then-new tunes on this one, and the unusual second set will be a breath of fresh air, for me, anyway. Looking forward to this one!

Meanwhile still working through the HCS box. (No defective discs so far, praise ye gods.) Like a lot of people, I was surprised and blown away by the excellence of that Des Moines show! What's that expression about "the strangest of places"?

Late '79 is strong

But we all are waiting for 12/1/79. But still, I am open to more December shows. Good energy. Another tidbit from 12/4/79 (is he gonna piece the whole show together via bits & pieces a la 3/24/90?). But speaking of '79 shows we want, I'd love 2/17/79. K&D's finale.

Still, we have had our 2 K&D shows this year (1 without Mickey, 1 with), and now a Brent. Does he go Pig or Bruce (for the first time?) for 48? A sneaking feeling #48 may be some 1970 Allman Brothers/Dead (2/11 + completing 2/13 or 2/14?). The 1973 HC sunshine box has me hoping that there was a breakthrough with the ABB on some stuff.

Allmans & Dead

Also Watkins Glen. I've been getting promotions for a Woodstock type documentary for the Watkins Glen performances coming out this year. Hoping all the music sees a release this year, including the Allman sets from RFK. Wake of the Flood 50th will also be announced soonish so there's definitely more 73 coming out this year.

For completing 79 Dead show releases there are a bunch on that first Road Trips plus hopefully a rerelease of the download shows that came out from that tour that were briefly available.

Don’t believe that I’ve heard 12-9-79 before

My favorite 79’s were already released:
10-27-79
12-28-79

Had them on cassette and knew them well when 12-26-79 came out.

Hope this release is a smoker.

interesting pick, it already…

interesting pick, it already floats around freely traded and in good to excellent quality depending your source. same with almost everyting in the 73 box set. i got it, and compared to the bear boards, miller re dos, etc the shows dont sound that much better if they do at all. i have nice 73 box set if anyone wants one... reach out to me.

It's the 55th anniversary of Anthem Of The Sun....

....going in the player soon.
Finishing up Dave's 31 first.

Phish in Wilmington ended due to storms

Mid-song second set. Had some friends there. I've always wondered about it, especially with Walnut Creek '97, a legendary Phish summer show in Raleigh on 7/22/97, with an epic thunderstorm and lightning struck the lawn or very nearby during Taste. Nobody hurt, but Phish played to the storm. Then played an unbelievable second set. Sadly, tonight went unfinished. Interestingly, String Cheese made their debut at the same venue in Wilmington last Spring and one night was stopped due to storms with the band playing a set backstage and livestreaming it on Instagram and Facebook. In 2017, was in Atlanta for Cheese and we got dumped on both nights, but the first night was far worse. Full on July Southern Thunderstorm, and my most vivid memory is running back to my car in the pouring rain and feeling I was dodging lightning to put my camera back in my car (them was the rules for my photo pass). When I went back in, I was getting a bit of shelter from the storm for a bit and overheard the stage manager being told they got lucky as the radar showed the storm moving away, one more close lightning strike and they would have shut it down. Luckily for us, it was not. A fantastic show, really inspired, as the band was loving those of us who remained dancing in the pouring rain, while a lot of people crammed under the bit of shelter at the back of the amphitheatre.

Anybody remember any times they personally or knew of Dead shows getting stopped due to storms? I know Red Rocks one year got moved to McNichols Arena in Denver, and SummerFest '78 was cx'd, but they never started.

#45

#45 finally sold out.

Which one is next?

The race is on.

Billerica

I'm hoping the billerica clue will come to fruitation. I'm not sure how many times thy played there, but the 1989? Tape I have has an amazing setlist. That tape given to me in the late 80s? A deadhead friend gave it to me, and I was hooked ever since.

Sellout

#47 is $10 less than #46, so there's that, which I don't understand. I think they'll both be around a while, and I hope I'm wrong. Maybe 47 goes first.

It seems the Grateful Dead played Billerica only once, in May of 79 so I'm not sure whats going on there.
5/11/79

Took 6 months for 45 to sell…

Took 6 months for 45 to sell out, and 46 is still available. Take your time. Forget about Dave’s comments about 48, it’s 50 I want to know about.

Joey / Billerica 5/11/79

You are right. I remember the Estimated on my tape. It's the most incredible Estimated I've ever heard, in my opinion. The tape I obtained was unlabeled, so it was hard to pinpoint which show it was taped from, especially back in the day. Thanks for clearing that up. P.S. - when I mentioned 1989?, I was eluding to the time I obtained the tape, and was clueless to what show was actually on it. I started going to dead shows in 86' but started collecting tapes around 88' or 89'.The billerica tape was the tape that got me to dig my heels in, and really start to collect and trade shows.

I knew what you meant about…

I knew what you meant about the year. There is a newer-ish Charlie Miller transfer of a Steve Rolfe recording on the archives. It sounds really good after a few minutes.

re: 5/11/79

Billerica is a good show - I recall this had come up on here a few years back and I dove in then and am re-listening now. Good FOB and I've cranked the sub. Setlist right up my alley; Half Step>Franklins opener, LL>Supp, Peggy'O; a massive Shakedown, Estimated>Eyes and a powerhouse trio to finish it off. No encore this evening.....

...Dave?!?!?

Be Well People!
Sixtus

S.F.'s Own From NY

Tony Bennett was 96. RIP
The best of the crooners.
Cheers

A raise of the glass to Tony Bennett

My wife and I got to see/hear him perform in Las Vegas in...2012? 2007?

In any case, you were a giant among entertainers, Mr. Bennett. RIP.

Dave's #48

Carousel Ballroom 1968

Joey

Cool. I'll check out the C. Miller Tr. on archives.

Off topic

Third man records is releasing a syd barret collection on vinyl.

Has anyone got their garcialive 20 yet?

DaPicks cover

Hello. I got a question. Although my "name" is Luis ( in spanish), I've never been in St Louis. I dont know why the cover has what looks like something in honor of a a dog. but I don't know.-:)

Dave's 48

6/21/71

GarciaLive 20....

....got it about a week ago. Love it.
The AC broke at work today. Hate it.
Got home. Turned the shower to the coldest I could handle to help cool my core. AC set to 75.
Brain got a little scrambled.
I'm good now.

Cronbach Bear

Luis - that's a Missouri bear sculpted of limestone by Robert Cronbach. One of two, slightly different pose for each, at the entrance to the Kiel Opera House. There are 2 grizzly bears in the Missouri state seal. The Cronbach bears seem a bit chill for grizzlies. One of them in fact reminds me of my (late) dog Spirit, a very good dog, in his demeanor.

Listening to Set II on the Rolfe pull/Miller upload of Billerica 5/11/79. Wowza. Very very nice.

Edit - actually 3 grizzlies in the Missouri state seal. One small representation on all 4 paws, and 2 larger ones standing.

Missouri Bear

Thank you, Bluecrow, always good to learn something new. -:)

Missouri State Seal

Yes, I've just Saw It on wikipedia. Also un other article They say that the population of the Missouri Bear is increasing, lately.

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